Community Lounge, Introductions and General Discussion Discussion, Forum n00b checking in in General Discussion; Hey all... posting a quick intro before barging in to the classic side.
I've been a 'dubber for many years ...

Forum n00b checking in

Hey all... posting a quick intro before barging in to the classic side.

I've been a 'dubber for many years and have owned three mk1 Rabbit GTI's. My most recent was a fully restored '83 that drove like a three year old car. NOS alloy wheels, a perfect original interior, and a properly rebuilt drivetrain. Leak free and dead nuts reliable. It was an enthusiasts dream.

Sometime last year I caught myself checking out long low convertibles at cruise nights, and then I saw a '67 Cutlass Supreme vert that pretty much knocked me out. It was an original survivor and priced well out of my league, but it got me testing the waters to see what my GTI was worth.

Well, as it turns out, a member of the VW forum I belong to had been poking me to show him my car for some time. I invited him for a look and floated a highball over his head. He reached for it with a very respectable offer. I countered and ended up breaking even on the car I owned for 4 years. Bittersweet seeing it being driven away, but I know she went to a loving home.

So... after seeing a couple of real junkers I found a good local car on eBay. '75 Eldorado convertible, Jennifer blue with a white top and interior. It's a nice driver, good paint and body, de-smogged, runs smooth and pretty much everything works. I've only had it a few days and already got the factory radio, A/C, and a whole slew of vacuum lines sorted out. It'll need some front end work and a few other bits to meet my safety and reliability standards, but after that I plan to just drive it for a while before going deep on the top and interior - the CD-ROM manual, headlight adjusters, and high-impedance dash speakers are already ordered!

Anyhow, figured it was a good time to post an intro and start getting to know the regulars... I'm sure I'll be asking questions in short order!

Re: Forum n00b checking in

Well, it sure is nice to see a couple guys who will admit to a certain degree of VW affliction. I'm pretty much VW'ed out at this point, but I'll never say never.... The Wolfsburg Sciroccos were awesome, though I could never compress my 6'3" frame enough to fit.

Thanks for the comments - that pic does it justice as it omits the weathered interior, frayed top, and paint imperfections, but what the hey... it's a good starting point. Besides, I wish I looked that good when I was crowding 40.

Re: Forum n00b checking in

I will say that your choice of cars couldn't be more different. Driving an eighties GTI was more like riding a polo pony while driving your Eldorado is more like riding an elephant! Back when they were new I test drove an 1976 Eldorado and then drove and bought a '76 Seville .... the difference between the two cars was like night and day. The name "land yacht" pretty much says it all for the Eldorado.

Re: Forum n00b checking in

Jennifer blue and white....yum!

Love the Eldo. I was excited to hear you were a VW guy...until I saw they drove from the wrong end!
VW raised. The space behind the back seat over the engine was my crib when dad was on the road as an auditor. Put me right to sleep. I can only get to sleep now by idling my car. Dangerous to drive on long trips too!

Re: Forum n00b checking in

Hey, If you don't suffer through a Wisconsin winter in an air cooled car without blower motors, you haven't lived! It prepared me well for my Wrangler soft top ownership years later. Only two vehicles I have ever driven where you scrape the inside of the windshield more than the outside.
My first driving experience, other than go carts, was at 12 years old in a 66 Dub convertible.